1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to telephone sanitation devices, and more particularly pertains to a disinfectant treated foam pad adapted to be secured on a phone base in a position such that the phone mouthpiece rests against the disinfectant treated foam pad when not in use. The small holes in the mouthpiece of the telephone are a perfect hiding place for bacteria transmitted by individuals speaking into the phone. The next person using the phone naturally inhales some of the bacteria into their mouth and nostrils. Society is currently quite afraid of contracting various communicable diseases. In order to prevent the transmission of disease between various individual telephone users and to alleviate public fear, the present invention provides a disinfectant pad to sanitize the mouthpiece of a telephone between uses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of telephone sanitation devices are known in the prior art. A typical example of such a telephone sanitation device is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 45,347, which issued to C. Mundt on Mar. 3, 1914. This patent discloses a telephone mouthpiece cover formed as a thin flat square sheet. Each corner of the sheet is bent to form a tab for attachment over the mouthpiece of a telephone. The cover is provided with a plurality of sound transmitting apertures. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 142,133, which issued to A. Woodruff on Aug. 14, 1945, discloses an earpiece cover for a telephone receiver which is formed from a flexible foam material. While this device provides added comfort to a telephone user, no sanitary benefits are achieved. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 171,161, which issued to L. Larabell on Dec. 22, 1953, discloses a soft foam cover for a telephone receiver or mouthpiece. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 253,236, which issued to J. Hwang on Oct. 23, 1979, discloses a telephone mouthpiece cover which utilizes a rigid mounting ring provided with an inner fibrous filler. A plurality of tabs are provided about the circular periphery of the cover for engagement with a telephone mouthpiece. U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,215, which issued to M. Ferraro on Oct. 8, 1985, discloses a detachable earmuff for a stereo headset formed of an insulated cover designed to protect a user's ears from the cold.
While the above mentioned devices are suited for their intended usage, none of these devices provide a disinfectant treated foam pad provided with an adhesive backing for securement to a telephone base. Additionally, none of the aforesaid prior art devices provide a disinfectant treated foam pad which utilizes an absorbent material to continuously supply disinfectant through a wicking action to a foam pad. An additional feature of the present invention, not contemplated by the aforesaid prior art devices, is the use of a cartridge holder provided with an adhesive backing for securement to a telephone base to allow usage of replaceable disinfectant foam pads. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these various types of telephone sanitation devices, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for and interest in improvements to such telephone sanitation devices, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need and interest.